Present dilemmas of humanitarian aid are best understood when seen them in terms of historical conjunctures and contingencies such as wars and post-war periods, empires and decolonization.

Au 3744 Jean-Brillant, salle 580-31 16h00 à 18h00

Résumé :

Humanitarian aid has been a malleable concept. Existing narratives for the twentieth century provide no satisfactory explanation for the evolution of the field. We need to highlight instead historical conjunctures and contingencies such as wars and post-war periods, empires and decolonization. The emphasis on conflicting forces and multi-layered structures at particular moments in time provides a historical perspective revealing fundamental dilemmas faced by international humanitarian aid to the present day.